Powermatic III+

Initial Review -I made a decision back in August 2022 to stop buying packs or cartons of cigarettes. On a carton basis, (10 packs) cigarettes can cost $82-$100+ depending on where you live. I started making my own or as it's called RYO (roll your own) by using a Top-O-Matic hand crank roller. Worked pretty well mostly but was time-consuming and messy. Many times I'd crank out a dud that didn't fill correctly and have to either throw it away or try to finesse the tobacco out of the tube and start again. I'd watched many YouTube videos of people using this Powermatic III+ and saying how much they liked it. So, about a week ago I decided to get my own and here I am writing my initial review.As you can see from the photos there's not much to it. The machine has a few accessories to clean it or clear a jam. There were also 3 tiny clear rubber-like replacement pieces for the tube gripper thing. I only glanced over the instructions as I had already watched so many videos that I knew how to operate it. So far I've been making both Kings and 100s. I make the Kings on the lower setting and 100s on the highest setting and they both turn out perfectly. I haven't tried the middle setting. I understand the 3 settings, low, medium, high determine the density of the tobacco that fills each tube. At this time I'll use the low setting for Kings and the high setting for 100s. Those seem about right for me and the tube sizes I'm using.I had read that you don't want to use overly moist tobacco and many people had recommended moisture content of the tobacco be perhaps 14-16%. I checked the moisture of my tobacco before using it and fresh out of the bag, it measured around 22-24%. So, I spread out a pile to dry for a while. After about 35 minutes the moisture content had come down to 16% so I proceeded to make some cigs. I will add that I live in a dry climate so reducing the moisture was a rather quick process. The particular brand of tobacco I'm using today is not what I'd call long-cut or stringy. You can see in my photos that there are some longer strands but it's mostly a medium cut I'd say and works great in the PMIII+. I've seen YouTubers cut with scissors longer cuts of tobacco. When filling the tobacco chamber on the machine I filled it almost to the top but didn't pack it. It's said by some that a full hopper of tobacco will make 30-35 cigarettes.Conclusion:If you're a smoker and not inclined to quit I'd recommend getting yourself a PMIII+. If nothing else you'll save a ton of money. I kind of think it's fun to make my cigarettes. For me, I can make a pack of cigarettes for about $0.90 - $0.95/pack as opposed to $8.00+ a pack. Once you are all set up with the machine, filter tubes, and tobacco you should be able to make a carton in about 30 minutes or less. If you have any questions about the machine, process, or where to buy the tobacco and tubes I know of a couple of good websites offering good prices. For example - a 1lb. bag of tobacco runs about $13-$16 and the filter tubes $1.79 - $3.29 for boxes of 200 tubes. Rolling Your Own is a no-brainer! And one final note - after purchasing your PMIII+ and an initial supply of tobacco and tubes, you'll probably recoup the cost of the machine in about a month. You might expect to make about 4 cartons with a 1lb. bag of tobacco. Don't worry, be happy! - you will get the "Hopper" notice on the PMIII+ screen occasionally. Don't sweat it or let this deter you. It happens to everyone and every machine and is easily resolved by either adding more tobacco to the hopper or simply stirring the tobacco a little bit. No biggie. I hope my experience has been helpful to your decision-making process.UPDATE: 03-04-2023I've now been using the PMIII+ for about a month. THIS THING IS GREAT! The following are a few tips and my experience to date. The first thing and perhaps the most important is making sure your tobacco isn't too moist which it will be right out of a freshly opened bag. I do have a small moisture meter I use to gauge the moisture content. I have found that by spreading out an amount you intend to roll and let it air dry for a while. For me, that usually takes about 30-40 minutes. That will lower the moisture from about 24-25% down to 14-16% which I find is ideal. I do live in a dry climate so it might take you a little longer in a more humid climate. Keep your tobacco stored either in the zip bag it came in or another airtight container. You don't want to use overly "stringy" tobacco. If your is, I suggest cutting it some. You don't want to use a very fine cut either. You will just have to experiment a little and gain some experience. Too moist and too dry or fine is a non-starter.HOPPER ERROR - don't let this concern you as it WILL happen during the course of making your cigarettes. When I get the error I go ahead and push the start button again and the machine will still produce the cigarette. Then, open the lid and stir and or add more tobacco. Usually while making your cigarettes the machine will "cycle" 2-3 times and then produce the cigarette. Sometimes you'll notice it cycling many more times but still producing your cigarette. When I hear that I usually open the hopper, stir the tobacco and add some. This only takes a second or two then you're back to business.NOT AN AD: I have found that I like Good Stuff - Silver tobacco and Gambler - Silver tubes. This produces a light or perhaps ultra-light smoke. The suppliers of tobacco have many selections to choose from in both tobacco brands and types. Same with the filter tubes. I have tried several brands and types over the past months. I'd say they were all good. I just happen to like Good Stuff brand for taste and cut. Others I've tried are OHM, Cherokee, and Criss Cross. All good. Remember, all cigarette tobacco is sold and labeled as Pipe tobacco.Most of the time I make King size cigarettes. However, the machine does make 100s just as well. When I make Kings I use the lowest setting and 100s on the highest setting. These both work perfectly for me. I have also experimented a little by mixing 1/3 mint or menthol tobacco with my regular tobacco. I actually like it. Most of the time I'll sit and watch golf or football and roll about 10-12 packs and this will take about 1 hour not counting any prep (drying) time. I store my rolled packs of cigarettes in either TOP or Tube Cut brand plastic flip-top boxes. You'll want to get a supply of these and they are not expensive. These comfortably hold 18 cigarettes.If I were you and thinking about starting to roll your own, I'd recommend skipping the hand-crank models and diving right into the Powermatic III+. Don't waste your time thinking you might not like RYO cigarettes. You will and probably more than the expensive store-bought brands. If nothing else you'll certainly enjoy making great quality and great tasting cigarettes for only $0.90 - $0.95 a pack!! Let me know if you have any questions.UPDATE: 5-8-23Nothing major here. Just a tip I'd like to share. Since I purchased my PMIII I've mostly been making King-size cigarettes. Regarding moisture content, I'm now solidly recommending that you try to achieve a 14% moisture target when drying the tobacco before rolling. I rolled some recently that was ~12% (I forgot to check on it as I was letting it dry) and although it rolled fine and with no Hopper error messages, the tobacco burned too quickly and tended to fall out of the top 1/8" to 1/4" of the finished tube/cigarette. I am also recommending using the middle selection when rolling. After months of using the lowest selection, I've determined that the middle selection (for Kings anyway) produces a slightly firmer cigarette which also burns slower and is more uniform IMO. It still draws nicely and the "cherry" stays firmly in place. For me this is ideal. To date I've made a little over 1,800 cigarettes and the machine is working perfectly. Lastly, the next time I order I'm going to try a bag of house-brand tobacco from Smokers Outlet and see how I like it. It's a few dollars cheaper. I'll let you know. I'm currently rolling Cherokee brand and it's a good quality tobacco. No need to cut or chop it - not stringy. Very few "sticks".UPDATE: 6-21-23Previously I said I'd give Smokers Outlet house brand tobacco a try. Well, I have and can't recommend it with the PMIII machine. This brand - Silver, is too "stringy" and the machine doesn't like it. I'll get 4-5 Hopper errors per pack. Normally, with other brands such as Cherokee, Good Stuff, OHM I rarely encounter a Hopper error. I never have to chop or cut these other brands I like. Only drying a bit before rolling. The slightly lower price for the SO house brand isn't worth it IMO. TIP: Before rolling I dry my tobacco to reduce the moisture content. (see above) I now also sift the tobacco slightly prior to drying. I use a cheap metal kitchen-type strainer to sift out the power. I think it might help to keep the fines out of the machine too. Always look for and pluck out any small sticks or stem cuttings you find.

Being new to the roll your own game I have tried all the machines there is to offer. I own the old school slide type, a crank type (top o matic), a powermatic2+, and now the powermatic3+. They all respectively have there advantages but the pm3 takes the Cake.The pm3+ makes life way more easier and less time consuming to make your cigs...I mean we're trying to save money on cigs here, not devote every free minute to making cigs. The automated process makes the task so simple a caveman can do it (lol). Just fill the Hopper with your favorite tabacco, select your cig size (King or 100s) slide a empty tube on the nozzle, press the start button and Bam! Ready to smoke cig in about 4 seconds. If you like me, I still like to hand pack them a lill more after the process so I can get close to a perfect cig. But the automatic compression and injecting makes this much more of a enjoyable task over a crank type machine and even the pm2 for that matter. The pm3 is kind of big and bulky compared to the other machines, but fits on my McDonald's tray I use for rolling with room to spare. Clean up is a easy task, and comes with the same cleaning tools as the pm2. The piece counters add a nice touch (lifetime counter and resettable counter) to keep track of how many you have made. I'm not like some of the other reviewers that like to boast about how quickly I can make cigs, but this machine definitely cut processing time in HALF, and I can make let's say 40-60 cigs in about 15 minutes, hand packing each one while watching my favorite movie/show or talking on the phone.Now with that said, some disadvantages...-the pm3+(not the pm3) doesn't have the 5 stage compression setting that I hoped for, which was standard on the non-Plus model (pm3). They now have just 3 selectable sizes King, King mid I guess?, And 100s. After testing all settings (on King tubes) I've found that King setting rolls a lill on the loose side, King mid rolls a lill tighter, and 100s rolls the tightest. This also varies on your tabacco...how dry or moist it is, the cut etc. I tend to switch back and fourth on these settings while making my cigs.-your tabacco choice, and or prep MATTERS! When I read the reviews on this machine I tended to blow off the reviews that said to prep your tabacco before using this machine...they weren't joking. The automatic Hopper is a finiky beast on this machine and if your tabacco is too moist it will throw the Hopper light on about every 4-5 cigs. Same goes for longer cuts, problem is the machine only tempers (packs the tabacco) for a set amount of times, so if it takes longer then what's programed to fill the slot for your set cig size it will turn on the Hopper light. And in my use so far I've found moist and longer cut tabaccos to cause this issue. I use Ohm and The Good stuff for now, and helps to let it dry out a lill in open air for about 10-15 minutes before making cigs.-like other machines, this thing DOES NOT pack the tabacco all the way to the filter. This is something that has bothered me since day one of rolling my own, and obviously I've tried every machine possible. I've just come to realize hand packing after injecting is a must for me...still doesn't quite get it perfectly Everytime but it still makes more consistent enjoyable cigs. I think most people in the RYO community just deals with it and looks more at the cost savings then having your tabacco touch the filter (lol)Well hope this long winded reveiw helps others with there purchase. It's really a great investment when rolling your own, it will pay for it self in no time! For the more budget minded people the pm2 is a great investment as well. But the pm3+ is a must have if your looking for less time invested over cost.**UPDATE 6/19/20**The pm3+ is still going strong! Counter reads 8407 cigs rolled (more than this have been rolled, I'll explain in a sec) and still counting! It has made life so easy with rolling my own cigs, and Ive saved so much money as well. Pm3 payed for it self within the first month. Couple things I want to bring up.....- I've noticed that at probaly month 3 or so the injector started getting louder, kinda like dry parts rubbing each other sound... Almost like it needs grease or extreme interior cleaning. But with no service access I just continue to use it and it hasn't gotten worse.- when rolling, occasionally the Hopper light will come on which is supposed to indicate you need more tabacco...but you open the door and notice you still have half full Hopper?? Even with properly prepared tabacco it still does this, I found that you can shut the door and press the start button again and it will complete the cig but it will be packed way to tight. So another solution is keep the door open and press start and the machine will push out the injector (part of it's cleaning process) and you can complete the cig that way without it being uselessly tight. This way does not show up on the counter though which leads me to believe I'm up to about 9.5-10k cigs rolled instead of the 8400 it actually reads.- as in my initial review I brought up the cig settings and stated I go back and forth on the settings while rolling...I now tend to roll most of my cigs on the "king" setting which keeps them a lill loose but enjoyable, but on occasion it tends to roll too loose in which I switch the setting to "king +" (the middle setting) for a few cigs till it tightens up some and then I switch back to "king" size to complete that Hopper load. The 100's setting rolls way to tight on king tubes...and keep in mind I still hand pack each individual cig.-last but not least, I noticed at about month 4-5 it kinda spits the tube off early depending how packed the tabacco is. I have remedied this by lightly pushing on the filter towards the machine as it injects which helps getting the tabacco further in the tube but also keeps it on the nozzle.That's it for now! I still love this machine, you just have to learn it's quirks to make your desired cig. I love it so much I think I will buy a back up machine in the next month or 2 just to have it if this one decides to fail. Hope my long-winded review helps some people as I know this is not a easy purchase for some. But look at it this way....I was spending roughly $420-500 a month on store bought cigs, I now spend $60-100 a month on tabacco and tubes. It's a no brainier if you ask me.

My mom bought this due to her carpel tunnel in her hands she needs a machine convenient and with minimal malfunctions this thing is a dream she says. This is worth the money no doubt no need to think this through hands down worth every cent don't waste your money on other machines just buy this one now I promise you I've been there and tried almost every machine I feel like and I wish I found this year's ago, cause now I'm in heaven it's not even a task to roll anymore it's actually fun and my mom really enjoys rolling cigarettes now. This is worth the money though so just start and end with this product and I paid top dollar but it was still under 200 dollars ya for real this is the real deal. Also if you use tools to keep it clean maybe a small vacuum from Amazon that's what my mother uses. So just know this isn't a waste of money and if your good you could probably make a living rolling cigarettes for friends and relatives.

My machine is wonderful! We have owned it for 5 years! It just turned over to 55,565! If the users would know more about humidity, cut, and proper sorting the machine would never jam! If it's jammed it's either not sorted properly. Or too humid, or the cut is too long or too fine!